Latching mechanism for hopper door



Dec. 2, 1958 e. B. DOREY LATCHING MECHANISM FOR HOPPER DOOR IN VEN TOR. C965- l ii.

6 "Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 25. 1952 1958 G. B. DOREY LATCHING MECHANISM FOR HOPPER DOOR 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 25. 1952 1958 G. B. DORE Y LASTCHING MECHANISM FOR HOPPER DOOR Filed Feb. 25. 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 G. B. DOREY LATCHING MECHANISM FOR HOPPER DOOR s Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 25, 1952 INVENTOR.

1953 G. B. DOREY 2,862,460

LATCHING MECHANISM FOR HOPPER DOOR Filed Feb. 25, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TOR M E W HHMMHM W Q Q w L a R 1 C N MW Dec. 2, 1958 e. B. DOREY 2,362,460

I LATCHING MECHANISM FOR HOPPER DOOR Filed Feb. 25. 1952 6 SheetsSheet 6 J/ 57 m WW 15 J5 J2 54 f 5/ J7 Hll'l'l I 15 w INVENTOR. Geo/yefiflorqg United States Patent assz'asb Foizfiorl iiRiiooR G'e ir BpDor ey; Westr'nount, Qube', Canada, assigiior to Enterprise Railway Equipment Company, Chicago,

111;, 'a corporation ofllll'noi's Application February 25,1952', serial No. 273,231

8'Claims. c1. -10s-=30s This invent'iiin 'i-elates to animpiovd'latchifig mechanism for a hopper door for use in connection with'the retention of a hingedly mounted door "in tilosedv position and 'isof aty'pe especially adapted to be usedin conaec'tieawmi a veraean'y sus en ed pivotally mounted dtiorshch as emplo ed in railway hopper-ears and the like.

The objeet's' er the invention, aiming others, are re provide 'a'sheuldera type of ivzstauy lriouiftedfla tch which en ages with the s'wifigiiigedge or a venieauy suspended near and provides for "a liifiited amount of take up where y the "door is held iii partially spend position and moved to fully closed position by movement of the pivotal ails of the latch beak; toprevide-a toggle action "arm for drawing a latch'hook into substantially dead e'ent'er loc'king i'elation with respect to an enga in seat on "a'uoer; to provide a 'ii ovel form of abutine'nts for 'hg'age'ment between the latch and'an operating shaft for limiting 'relative movement 'betweenthe shaft and 'latch' at the'eXtremes "ofro tary movement of the shaft;

and to provide a simplified toggle mechanisrdei'riployiiig readily available materialsfor manufacturing a device of the character described.

For further comprehension of the invention reference may be'hadto the accompanyin'g'dra'wing's wherein:

Fi ure 1 is a s'ide'elevational'view of a portion of the side of a hopper car showing the improved construction applied thereto, said view showing the'door in closed and locked position.

Figure 2 is a front elevation'al' viewbf 'thesti'ucture shown in Figure 1 as viewed from right to left.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view taken on a'line correspending substantially to line 3-3 of Figure 1 with certain parts being broken away to better illustrate the construction. I

Figure 4 is a vetrical sectional view taken on a line corresponding substantially "to line '4- -4 of Figure 2. showingthe door in closed and latched position.-

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 except that the door is shown in partially opened position with the parts in position during the initial releasing movement of the door.

Figure 6 is another view similar to Figures 4 and 5 except that the latch is shown in position with the releasing rotary movement of the shaft continued to an extent suflicient to complete the releasing movement 'of the door. a

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view similar to Figure 4 showing latch returned to normal release position and biased to engage with the door.

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken through the toggle mechanism and showing on an enlarged scale the shaft in relation to the bearings, said view corresponding substantially to line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is an end elevational view of the operating handle for the toggle mechanism.

Figure 10 is an end elevational view of one of the' bearings for the shaft of the toggle mechanism.

ice

2 Figure l lfis a detached elevational view of the-shaft. I Figure 12 is a vertical sectional view taken through the shaft'sub'stantially on line 12 -12 of Figure 8. H Figure 13 isa side elevationalview showing the latch 5 hook in detaehed relation.

Figure 14is a plan view of the "hook shown in Figure 11. H g p Figure 15 is a vertical sectional'view taken generally along theline 1515 of Figure 8 and showingthe closed and locked position of the latch.

Figure16 is a view, similar to Figure 15, showing the latch in position foropening. H

Figure 17 is a vertical sectional view taken generally 'along the line 17 17 of Figure i8 toshow the arrange- .'ment of the soeket and assoeiatedseat. "in-the drawings wherein the invention is shown as -a'pplied i n connection with the vertically suspended door 'oj'fa'railwa' y hopper car, 10 indicates the center sill of the car and T1 the side wall, 12 a hopper structureineliidi'ng'inne r and outer side walls indicated at 13 and 14respeaiv1 the latter sloping downwardly inwardly j ai1 doi1hetin withsaid inner and outer walls 'areupper d lowerbppos itel y sloping floors indicated at 15 and :16 respeetivelfifthe edg eportions of said respective side fwalls and'iiipp'er and lower floors being spaced apart to ,"deli'ne a 'disehargeopening g "Surrounding "the opening is a frame structure 18 hav- ;ing' hinge butts 19- -19 at theupper portion thereof and jivtitiilly suppor ed from said hinge butts at 20 are Hinge arap's 21 z' 1 when in mm are secured to a door 22. The door is gen'e'mn of pan shape including a 'dy portion 23 having upstanding fside flanges 2ft and :with upper and lower flanges 26 and 27, 'the latter ing"-f6rfi1ed'vvitli a deformed portion 28 to accom- 5ifiddate"the"la h and cooperating br acket as-will herej'ihafter be described. The frame 18 adjacent the side walls "aiiapettemnedr is generally of angle shape with one flange 29 overlying the bottom'fioor and's'ide'walls of the gppr' alienating the adjacent flange '30 outstanding a k 'g' the door 22 in preliminary partly closed "position andarawing it to fully Closed position and therefafter retaining the-same 'inffnlly closed position there is j'provided-"a shouldered latching hook 31 carried by the ke e532 c arr'ie'clb'y the door '22. The shouldered latch- "itfg hoio'k 311s pivotallyinoiintedon pivot '3'3'between a "pair of arms 34-3 4 'in't'urn are fixedly mounted on an operating shaft '35, the latter being pivotally fiteftl inbearing brackets 36'an'd 37 as shown more aryin"Figure' 8. The" latch hook 31is preferably dissed"at' a location 'eehtrally'of the door 22 and the 1 bracket 3 is "disposed adjacent thereto. The earingbi'aeket 37 is disposes "adjacent the outer side wall *146f thehopper structu'reiz' and theshaft 35 is supported in saidrespect ive bearingbfac'kets 36'and 37. Theisearin bracket,Figures 1,8 and 10, is provided witha b'aseportion 'ineludi'ng a wall 3'8"s'ecui'ed"to the outstanding flan e 3025f 'thefiameami a wall asunde 60 lyin' g"thebott6m floor sheet 16 of the hopper 12 and is ":s'ecuredthe'reto. Con ecting with said walls 38 and 39 de ending'walr-flt) dis osed substantially at right angles to the 'a'iiis'of'i o'tation of the s'haft'35 and formed fi1 "a hubpoitio'n41 iniwh'ich the operating shaft is team-1y mounted. I

Fiic'ed'l'y' mounted on theouter 'endof the shaft 35 is 'anoperafifig handle =42,*Figu'res '8 and 9, having a hub po'r't-i' 43fitting over the 'shaft 35'a-nd a-h'ollow socket 44 'exfending -outwardl at an angle for the accommodation of a removable operatin iever. Extending between the'iangularly'relatedsocket portion 44 and the hub portion 43 is a seat 45. Cooperating with the seat 45 is a latching dog 46, Figure 3, which is pivotally mounted at 47 on a wall 48 which is offset laterally from the depending wall of the bearing bracket 37, Figure 10, a sufficient distance to permit the locking dog 46 to swing clear of the inclined-sidewall of the hopper 12 when it is swung to an overbalanced released position in engagement with a lug 46a. The seat is limited in extent in order to swing past the latching dog 46 when the latter is moved to an unlocking position.

The hub portion 43 of the operating handle 42, Figure 8, is extended axially beyond the hub portion 41 of the bearing bracket 37 and said projecting hub section 43 is encircled by a stop collar 49 which is secured in place by rivets 50 which also extend through the hub portion 43 and the shaft 35. The shaft 35 is thus maintained in fixed axial relation to the bearing bracket 37 and is thereby maintained against longitudinal shifting.

The latching hook 31, Figures 13 and 14, is formed with an arcuate shaped seating surface 51 concentrically formed with respect to the axis of pivot 33 and said surface is adapted and arranged to seat in a similarly formed concave shaped seat 52, Figure 12, formed in the shaft 35, said concave shaped seat 52 extending lengthwise between the pair of arms 3434 which are preferably secured to the shaft 35 by welding as indicated at 53. The seating surface 51 of the latch 31 extends throughot an annular distance beyond the cooperating surface of seat 52 in order to provide for relative swinging movement of the latch 31 in relation to the shaft 35. Stops are provided at 54 and 55 to limit the extent of such relative rotary movement.

In order to provide for an extensive lateral shift of the latch member 31 and operating within limited clearances a novel form of latch member is employed which consists of directing the latch member 31 rearwardly and upwardly on a generally ogee curve contour to present a hook shaped rearward extension of the latch as indicated at 56, said extension in this embodiment of the invention forming part of a counterweight 57 for biasing the hook shaped end 58 of the latch 31 into engagement with the bracket32 on the door 22.

The operation of the device may be understood by following out the sequence of operations involved in opening and closing the door 22 as follows: Assuming the door 22 in closed and locked position, as shown in Figures 1, with the mechanism in toggle locked relation, as shown in Figure 4, the operator swings the latching dog 46 in an anticlockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 1, and thereafter inserts a bar in socket 44 of the handle 42 and rotates the latter in a clockwise direction. This releases the toggle lock and such rotation imparts a forward lateral bodily movement to the latch hook 31 to assume the position shown in Figure 5, whereupon the shaft 35 contacts the abutment 55 and continued rotary movement thereafter operates to rotate the latch hook 31 in unison with the shaft 35 thereby displacing the shouldered end 18 sufliciently to clear the bracket 32 of the door, Figure 6, and allow the latter to open as shown in Figure 7.

Upon release of the operating handle 42 the weighted end 56 of the latch book 31 rotates the shaft 35 sufficiently to restore the shouldered end 58 of the latch hook 31 back to latching position as seen in Figure 7 with the upper surface 59 of the body of the latch hook 31 abutting a stop 60 on hearing bracket 37 in which position the latch hook 31 is readily displaced by impact on the inclined striker surface 61 thereof. The shaft 35 is then rotated in anticlockwise direction as viewed in Figure 1, which has the effect of drawing the door 22 to closed position. This rotation is continued until such time as abutment 54 contacts the shaft 35 whereupon the parts are locked in substantially dead center toggle relation as seen in Figure 4 where a broken line 62 through the axis of pivot 33 and through the axis of 4 rotation of the shaft 35 intersects the juxtaposed latching surfaces of the bracket 32 and the shouldered end 58 of the hook 31.

The toggle arrangement as provided by the improved construction is conducive to ease of operation as the final closed position of the door 22 is attained through the employment of a dead center toggle locking action providing tremendous drawing power to bring the door 22 to closed position with a comparatively small turning effort applied to the shaft 35. The toggle arm action provides for a generous lateral shifting movement of the latch hook 31 so that preliminary engagement between it and the door 22 is effected to hold the latter in a preliminary position of closure, Figure 5, at a degree of opening suflicient to compensate for any possible warpage of the door 22. Conversely the opening operation of the door 22 iseasily efiected without detracting from the positive latching action of the mechanism when in closed position.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a railway car having a hopper with a discharge opening, a sloping floor terminating at the bottom of said discharge opening, and a door hinged to said hopper adjacent an upper side of said opening and swingable under the effect of gravity to an open position, in combination, a keeper mounted on said door adjacent the edge of said door furthest removed from the hinge axis of said door, a shaft rotatably mounted on the under side of said sloping floor adjacent the bottom of said discharge opening and parallel to said hinge axis, an arm extending radially from said shaft, a latch pivoted on said arm about an axis parallel to and spaced from the axis of rotation of said shaft and having a shoulder engaging said keeper and holding said door closed, the axis of rotation of said shaft being located between the pivot axis of said latch on said arm and said shoulder on said latch when said door is closed, and means for rotating said shaft.

2. In a railway car having a hopper with a discharge opening, a sloping floor terminating at the bottom of said discharge opening, and a door hinged to said hopper adjace'nt an upper side of said opening and swingable under the effect of gravity to an open position, in combination, a keeper mounted on said door adjacent the edge of said door furthest removed from the hinge axis of said door, a shaft rotatably mounted on the under side of said sloping floor adjacent the bottom of said discharge opening and parallel to said hinge axis, an arm extending radially from said shaft, a latch pivoted on said arm about an axis parallel to and spaced from the axis of rotation of said shaft and having a shoulder engaging said keeper and holding said door closed, the axis of rotation of said shaft being located between the pivot axis of said latch on said 5 arm and said shoulder on said latch when said door is closed, a stop on said latch reacting against said shaft and limiting said latch movement in latched position when said door is closed, and means for rotating said shaft.

3. In a railway car having a hopper with a discharge opening, a sloping floor terminating at the bottom of said discharge opening, and a door hinged to said hopper adjacent an upper side of said opening and swingable under the effect of gravity to an open position, in combination, a keeper mounted on said door adjacent the edge of said door furthest removed from the hinge axis of said door, a shaft rotatably mounted on the under side of said sloping floor adjacent the bottom of said discharge opening and parallel to said hinge axis, an arm extending radially from said shaft, a latch pivoted on said arm about an axis parallel to and spaced from the axis of rotation of said shaft and having a shoulder engaging said keeper and holding said door closedQthe axis of rotation of said shaft being located between the pivot axis of said latch on said arm and said shoulder on said latch when said door is closed, a pair of stops on said latch positioned to engage different portions respectively of said shaft and spaced apart further than the diameter of said shaft and engaged by the respective portions of said shaft on rotation of said shaft to rotate said latch about the pivot axis of said latch on said arm, and means for rotating said shaft.

4. In a railway car having a hopper with a discharge opening, a sloping floor terminating at the bottom of said discharge opening, and a door hinged to said hopper adjacent an upper side of said opening and swingable under the effect of gravity to an open position, in combination, a keeper mounted on said door adjacent the edge of said door furthest removed from the hinge axis of said door, a shaft rotatably mounted on the under side of said sloping floor adjacent the bottom of said discharge opening and parallel to said hinge axis, an arm extending radially from said shaft, a latch pivoted on said arm about an axis parallel to and spaced from the axis of rotation of said shaft and having a shoulder engaging said keeper and holding said door closed, the axis of rotation of said shaft being located between the pivot axis of said latch on said arm and said shoulder on said latch when said door is closed, said latch extending underneath said shaft and having a cylindrical arcuate convex seating surface overly a cylindrical arcuate concave seating surface on said shaft with the center of the seating surfaces being the pivot axis of said latch on said arm, and means for rotating said shaft.

5. In a railway car having a hopper with a discharge opening, a sloping floor terminating at the bottom of said discharge opening, and a door hinged to said hopper adjacent an upper side of said opening and swingable under the effect of gravity to an open position, in combination, a keeper mounted on said door adjacent the edge of said door furthest removed from the hinge axis of said door, a shaft rotatably mounted on the under side of said sloping floor adjacent the bottom of said discharge opening and parallel to said hinge axis, an arm extending radially from said shaft, a latch pivoted on said arm about an axis parallel to and spaced from the axis of rotation of said shaft and having a shoulder engaging said keeper and holding said door closed, the axis of rotation of said shaft being located between the pivot axis of said latch on said arm and said shoulder on said latch when said door is closed, said latch extending underneath said shaft and having a cylindrical arcuate convex seating surface overlying a cylindrical arcuate concave seating surface on said shaft with the center of the seating surfaces being the pivot axis of said latch on said arm, the convex seating surface extending beyond the concave seating surface, a stop on said latch at each end of the convex seating surface and engaged by one side or the other side of said shaft on rotation of said shaft to rotate said latch about the pivot axis of said latch on said arm, and means for rotating said shaft.

6. In a railway car having a hopper with a discharge opening, a sloping floor terminating at the bottom of said discharge opening, and a' door hinged to said hopper adjacent an upper side of "said opening and swingable under the effect of gravity to an open position, in combination, a keeper mounted on said door adjacent the edge of said door furthest removed from the hinge axis of said door, a shaft rotatably mounted on the under side of said sloping floor adjacent the bottom of said discharge opening and parallel to said hinge axis, a pair of arms extending radially from said shaft, a latch between and pivoted to said arms about an axis parallel to and spaced from the axis of rotation of said shaft, said latch being pivoted intermediate the ends of said latch and one end extending underneath said shaft and having a shoulder engaging said keeper and holding said door closed, the axis of rotation of said shaft being located between the pivot axis of said latch on said arms and said shoulder on said latch when said door is closed, the other end of said latch carrying a counterweight, and means for rotating said shaft.

7. In a railway car having a hopper with a discharge opening, a sloping floor terminating at the bottom of said discharge opening, and a door hinged to said hopper adjacent an upper side of said opening and swingable under the effect of gravity to an open position, in combination, a keeper mounted on said door adjacent the edge of said door furthest removed from the hinge axis of said door, a shaft rotatably mounted on the under side of said sloping floor adjacent the bottom of said discharge opening and parallel to said hinge axis, a pair of arms extending radially from said shaft, a latch between and pivoted to said arms about an axis parallel to and spaced from the axis of rotation of said shaft, said latch being pivoted intermediate the ends of said latch and one end extending underneath said shaft and having a shoulder engaging said keeper and holding said door closed, the axis of rotation of said shaft being located between the pivot axis of said latch on said arms and said shoulder on said latch when said door is closed, the other end of said latch carrying a counterweight, said latch having a cylindrical arcuate convex seating surface overlying a cylindrical arcuate concave seating surface on said shaft with the center of the seating surfaces being the pivot avis of said latch on arms, and means for rotating said shaft.

8. In a railway car having a hopper with a discharge opening, a sloping floor terminating at the bottom of said discharge opening, and a door hinged to said hopper adjacent an upper side of said opening and swingable under the effect of gravity to an open position, in combination, a keeper mounted on said door adjacent the edge of said door furthest removed from the hinge axis of said door, a shaft rotatably mounted on the under side of said sloping floor adjacent the bottom of said discharge opening and parallel to said hinge axis, a pair of arms extending radially from said shaft, a latch between and pivoted to said arms about an axis parallel to and spaced from the axis of rotation of said shaft, said latch being pivoted intermediate the ends of said latch and one end extending underneath said shaft and having a shoulder engaging said keeper and holding said door closed, the axis of rotation of said shaft being located between the pivot axis of said latch on said arms and said shoulder on said latch when said door is closed, the other end of said latch carrying a counterweight, said latch having a cylindrical arcuate convex seating surface overlying a cylindrical arcuate concave seating surface on said shaft with the center of the seating surfaces being the pivot axis of said latch on said arms, the convex seating surface extending beyond the concave seating surface, a stop on said latch at each end of the convex seating surface and engaged by one side or the other side of said shaft on rotation of said shaft to rotate said latch about the pivot axis of said latch on said arms, and means for rotating said shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,482,516 Sheesley Sept. 20, 1949 

